Announcements and Statements
Activities and Announcements
Young Adult Friends
Young Adult Friends monthly gathering at the meetinghouse is canceled this month. The next meeting will be Sunday, March 8, 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
TFM Movie Night, Sunday, February 15, 5:00 to 7:30 PM
Join filmmaker and TFM member, Patricia Boiko, as we watch the quirky, comical, and poignant documentary about her family’s novel approach to making ends meet in difficult circumstances. Share popcorn, hot and cold drinks, and fellowship. Free event!
Promoting Anti-Racism in Quaker Circles, Saturday, Feb. 14, 10-11 AM PST
This is part of a series sponsored by the NPYM Working Group on Addressing Harm with Care and facilitated by Jonathan Betz-zall. The online session will be a review and expansion of his presentation from last year, with more time for participants to consider their own opportunities for reflection and action.
Topic: Promoting Anti-Racism in Quaker Circles
Time: Feb 14, 2026 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82045225592?pwd=e4VX2phDdAKjf4bOUHumxOZghnYUC3.1
Meeting ID: 820 4522 5592
Passcode: 090553
Anna’s Surgery
Support Anna’s gender-affirming surgery at this link: https://gofund.me/48d0d11ed There are additional opportunities to help. Email tacomafriendsmeeting@gmail.com to ask how to help with meals and other needs during recovery. This is an important time for our community to hold Anna and her family in Love and Care.
Letter of thanks from Minneapolis Friends Meeting, January 29, 2026
Dear Friends around the world,
Minneapolis Friends feel so blessed by the outpouring of support for our Meeting and wider community that we have received from dozens of individuals and Meetings in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Canada. We also feel deep sadness and anger that our federal government has created a masked “army” that is literally terrorizing our cities, attacking migrant populations and peaceful protesters and disrupting our economic life. Many workers are afraid to venture out of their homes for fear of being detained, many shops and restaurants have had to close, public schools have closed on several occasions to protect students, teachers and parents. The Trump administration is withholding funds threatening many social programs in Minnesota and “weaponizing” the Department of Justice (if it can still be called this) against government officials opposing their attacks on immigrant populations in Minnesota.
In one of his visions, George Fox, living through a period of civil war and persecution against early Friends, saw an ocean of darkness and death, but he also saw an ocean of Light and love flowing over and through it. So too, Friends here are filled with gratitude and even joy at the outpouring of love as people all over our cities organize to care for others threatened by this darkness. Many Friends participate in organized networks such as the Immigrant Defense Network and Faith in Minnesota that train citizens in non-violent resistance. Neighborhoods are organizing to protect and support migrant communities. Others join peaceful protests, host refugees, volunteer in the schools, contribute to food banks, and serve in other ways.
The spirit of love and truth is indeed alive and at work in ways that are amazing and wonderful to see. To paraphrase Thomas Kelly words in the Testament of Devotion, the slumbering Christ deep within us all is being awakened and clothed in earthly form and action. All of this gives us hope as we live through the darkness around us. Public opinion does seem to be shifting and, with local and congressional elections coming up, even some Republicans are beginning to question the administration’s actions.
We can also find hope and courage from George Fox’s epistle written from his prison cell in 1663. “Sing and rejoice, ye children of the day and of the light; for the Lord is at work in this thick night of darkness that may be felt. And truth doth flourish as the rose, and the lilies do grow among the thorns, and the plants atop of the hills. And upon them the lambs do skip and play. And never heed the tempests nor the storms, floods nor rains, for the seed Christ is over all, and doth reign. And so be of good faith and valiant for the truth; for the truth can live in the jails. . . .”
Please share our greetings and gratitude with others as appropriate. We appreciate your support and witness. Blessings,
Stephen Snyder, Presiding Clerk, Minneapolis Friends Meeting
Standing with Minnesota
Stand With Minnesota has compiled a vetted list of organizations and mutual aid efforts for us to support. Locals are also urging us to pressure big corporations, like Target that is headquartered in the state but continues to sit on the sidelines. You can download the complete toolkit. There’s a lot of activity as we are hitting some inflection moments: threats of Insurrection Act, out-of-control ICE activity more akin to a military invasion, and an appropriations bill that could either expand or reduce ICE, Border Patrol and DHS. Please let your Congresspeople how you feel about what is happening in Minnesota. No state is safe.
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Legislative Priority Setting
Every two years, FCNL invites meetings from around the country to identify the priorities that FCNL will lobby on in the next congressional session (2027-2028). The guidelines are simple. Review topics and questions identified in FCNL’s Policy Statement, “The World We Seek,” gather in worship sharing with those who are interested in participating from our meeting, and craft up to five priorities that reflect Tacoma Friends Meeting’s collective discernment. The deadline for submission to FCNL is April 17, 2026. Our target date for final approval is the Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business on April 12, 2026. Verna Lilly – vernalilly@nventure.com – is the point of contact for this project. Friends are invited to email with questions and suggestions. The date for worship sharing on this topic will be announced soon.
Opportunities
Resources for Immigrant Families
Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families provides resources for immigrant families and those who are helping them navigate these difficult times. Go to DCYF | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families and learn more by clicking on the Family Separation Rapid Response Team button.
Link to divestment strategies offered by the American Friends Service Committee: How to Divest | AFSC Investigate. Go to Home | American Friends Service Committee for additional information about Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) efforts.
Ongoing Peaceful Demonstrations in Tacoma:
- The corner of 38th and Steel, Saturdays from 2-3pm regarding the conflict in Palestine.
- 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month from 3:15 to 4:15 pm at the corner of Sprague and 6th (at the corner of Hilltop Heritage Middle School)
Homeless Outreach – Bring a case of bottled water or other food/supplies to the meetinghouse for distribution to people living homeless.
Contact your State legislator through Welcome to the Washington State Legislature or go to Home — Quaker Voice for more information about legislative issues here in Washington State.
Learn about Federal issues and contact Congress by visiting Home | Friends Committee On National Legislation
Community Statements
Audio of Tacoma Friend Minute on continued suffering and death in Gaza Friend Louisa Beal recorded our Minute as a PSA for KTAH Radio Tacoma 101.9 FM. The QR code below takes you to audio of the PSA.
Tacoma Friends Updated Minute on Conflict in Israel and Gaza, approved by Meeting for Business June, 2025
Tacoma Friends Minute on Conflict in Israel and Gaza, approved by Meeting for Business January 14, 2024
TFM Land Acknowledgement that the meeting house sits on Puyallup Tribe unceded territory, recognition of our responsibility for harm, ongoing commitment to right relationships, and repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery.
2024 State of the Society Report “Tacoma Friends Monthly Meeting’s cup is full and runneth over! . . .”